The invention relates to the field of manufacturing confectionery bars. In particular the invention relates to manufacturing bars of a solid three dimensional confectionery core that is at least partially coated with boiled sugar.
Confectionery bars based on boiled sugar that have a core of a waffle, biscuit, or ice cream, for example, are becoming increasingly popular. The boiled sugar gives the product masticability which is highly desirable because it blends well in the mouth with the rest of the product. A core coated on several sides with boiled sugar provides better homogeneity in the mouth than a structure that is made of superposed layers, such as, for example, a simple laminate of the caramel/waffle type. Therefore it is desirable to manufacture confectionery bars that are composite products formed from a solid three dimensional core that is coated, at least partially, with a boiled sugar layer. Preferably, the boiled sugar layer is further coated with an external chocolate layer.
Traditional methods for manufacturing such confectionery bars involved continuously conveying separate portions of the core that is to be coated under a curtain of liquid boiled sugar so that the core is coated on several of its sides. The temperature necessary to reach a sufficient degree of fluidity for the coating, such as with a boiled sugar of the caramel type, is on the order of 60xc2x0 C. or higher. A major disadvantage of coating under a curtain is the difficulty in controlling the thickness of the coating on the vertical sides of the core. In particular, because of the high fluidity of the coating when the core is passed through the curtain of coating, the boiled sugar does not harden immediately and therefore tends to run down the vertical sides of the core, resulting in the formation of an undesirable gradient of coating thickness. Thus, the quality of the product and the reproducibility of the product are compromised. Another disadvantage is related to the large mass of liquid coating that must be used in order to properly coat the core. The large amount of liquid means that a relatively large proportion of the liquid needs to be recovered. Thus, it is necessary to provide a system for recovering and reprocessing the mass of boiled sugar coating. This can be difficult considering that this mass of liquid coating tends to harden rapidly on contact with the components of the recovery plant. Furthermore, in some cases, it is necessary to provide a cooling system, for example, a cooling tunnel, to accelerate cooling of the coating, to reduce the gradient effect, and limit the xe2x80x9clossxe2x80x9d of coating material.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,518,617 relates to manufacturing blocks of wafers formed from superposed layers of wafers with intermediate layers of cream disposed between the layers of wafers. The process relates to the production of products having a xe2x80x9csandwichxe2x80x9d configuration based on successively deposited layers of cream and is unrelated to covering a confectionery base with a layer of boiled sugar on several of its sides.
European Patent Application 0,304,570 relates to a process for manufacturing a confectionery mass on a roller, sprinkling solid components on the mass before it cools, and depositing the mass on to a conveyor belt.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,454,834 relates to a method of coating wafer sheets and the like by spreading a solidifying confectionery mass over the wafer sheets so as to form products having a xe2x80x9csandwichxe2x80x9d structure.
There remains a need for methods of manufacturing confectionery bars coated with boiled sugar that overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the traditional processes and, in particular, a method that eliminates the problem of the coating forming a gradient of uneven thickness when a three dimensional core is coated.
The invention relates to a method for manufacturing coated confectionery bars in the form of a three dimensional core which is at least partially coated with at least one layer of a boiled sugar confectionery material. The method involves providing a heated, continuous band of a boiled sugar confectionery material at a depositing temperature sufficient to enable the band to bend under its own weight, the band having a thickness, a width, and first and second surfaces; and depositing the band on one or more three dimensional cores each having a length, a width, at least two sides, and a top surface or point, with the band being deposited in a plane that is adjacent to and in contact with the surface or point of the one or more cores so that the band bends under its own weight to at least partially cover the top surface or point and at least one side of the one or more cores to provide at least one three dimensional coated confectionery bar. The three dimensional core may be in the shape of a square, rectangular, triangular, trapezoid, or hemispherical section and the band of boiled sugar confectionery material may have a viscosity of about 4,000 poise to 10,000 poise at a shearing rate of about 2 to 8 secondsxe2x88x921 when being deposited. The boiled sugar confectionery material may be one or more of caramel, chewy paste, marshmallow, or nougat and the core may be a wafer, a biscuit, ice cream, or a hardened boiled sugar base.
The first surface may have a temperature that is greater than that of the second surface to provide greater stickiness for the first surface and the band may be deposited with the first surface directly contacting the core(s). The method may further include providing inclusions on the first surface of the band and then depositing the band with the second surface directly contacting the core(s). The inclusions may be cereals, nuts, dried fruit, or mixtures thereof. The method may further involve cutting the three dimensional coated confectionery bar followed by at least partially coating the cut bar with chocolate.
The method may further involve providing a plurality of bands and a plurality of cores, each core having a length, a width, at least two sides, and a top surface or point, wherein each band bends under its own weight without a substantial change in the thickness or width of the band to at least partially cover the top surface or point and at least one side of each of the cores in order to provide a plurality of three dimensional coated confectionery bars. Each band may have a thickness of from about 3.5 to 4 mm, the bands may be spaced laterally, and the plurality of cores may be oriented laterally and end to end lengthwise. The method may include supporting each band before depositing them upon the cores. Each band may be formed on the support by first heating a boiled sugar confectionery material to a first temperature that is greater than that of the depositing temperature and then passing the heated confectionery material onto the support for cooling to the depositing temperature prior to depositing the bands upon the cores. The depositing temperature may be about 50xc2x0 C. to 60xc2x0 C. less than the first temperature, with the first temperature being between about 75xc2x0 C. and 95xc2x0 C. and the depositing temperature being between about 25xc2x0 C. and 40xc2x0 C.
One embodiment for manufacturing coated confectionery bars in the form of a three dimensional cores which are at least partly coated with at least one layer of a boiled sugar confectionery material involves providing a plurality of heated, continuous bands of boiled sugar confectionery material at a first temperature, wherein the bands have a thickness, a width, and inner and outer surfaces; cooling the bands to a second temperature by placing them on a roller having a cylindrical surface rotating at a first speed, with the inner surface of each band being in direct contact with the cylindrical surface of the roller, and the outer surface of each band not in direct contact with the cylindrical surface of the roller, with the second temperature being sufficient to allow the cooled bands to be detached from the surface of the roller and bend under their own weight; detaching the cooled bands from the cylindrical surface of the roller; and depositing each band on one or more three dimensional cores which pass by the roller on a conveyor at a second speed, wherein each core has a length, a width, at least two sides and a top surface or point that is most distant from the conveyor, wherein the bands are deposited in a plane that is adjacent to the top surface or point of the cores so that each band contacts the top surface or point of the cores and bends under their own weight to at least partially cover the top surface or point and at least one side of the cores to provide the three dimensional coated bars.
Each band may be formed on the roller by first heating a boiled sugar confectionery material to the first temperature and then passing the heated confectionery material onto the roller, wherein the bands are cooled by cooling the cylindrical surface of the roller to a temperature of about 18xc2x0 C. to 22xc2x0 C. Each band may have a thickness of from about 3.5 to 4 mm, the bands may be spaced laterally on the roller, and the plurality of cores may be orientied laterally and end to end lengthwise on a conveyor that passes beneath the roller, with the first speed and the second speed being substantially the same.
The plurality of cores may be arranged parallel to each other on the conveyor and the plurality of bands parallel to each other on the roller, wherein each band has a midline running lengthwise along the band and bisecting the width of the band and the midline of each band is separated by a distance, wherein the cores are obtained by cutting a sheet into a plurality of cores with the core width, wherein each core has a midline running lengthwise along the core and bisecting the core width, and laterally separating the cores with a separator so that the distance between the midline of the cores is substantially the same as the distance between the midline of the bands.
The method may also involve depositing inclusions onto the outer surface of each band after each band is formed on the cylindrical surface of the roller and before the band is detached from the cylindrical surface of the roller, with the inner surface of each band being deposited onto the core(s).
In one embodiment the method further involves providing a second plurality of heated, continuous bands of a second boiled sugar confectionery material at a third temperature, wherein the bands have a thickness, a width, and inner and outer surfaces; cooling the second bands to a fourth temperature by placing them on a second roller having a cylindrical surface rotating at a second speed, with the inner surface of each band being in direct contact with the cylindrical surface of the second roller, and the outer surface of each band not in direct contact with the cylindrical surface of the second roller, with the fourth temperature being sufficient to allow the second cooled bands to be detached from the surface of the second roller and bend under their own weight; detaching the second cooled bands from the cylindrical surface of the second roller; and depositing each second band on the three dimensional coated bars which pass by the second roller on the conveyor at the second speed, wherein the bands are deposited in a plane that is adjacent to the top surface or point of the coated bars so that each band contacts the top surface or point of the coated bars and bends under their own weight to at least partially cover the top surface or point and at least one side of the coated bars.
The invention also relates to a device for manufacturing coated bars in the form of a three dimensional core at least partly coated with at least one layer of a boiled sugar confectionery material. The device includes a reservoir for containing a boiled sugar confectionery material, wherein the reservoir has an outlet for depositing one or more bands of boiled sugar confectionery material on a rotating roller; a rotating roller having a cylindrical surface positioned under the outlet of the reservoir for receiving from the reservoir and cooling the one or more bands of boiled sugar confectionery material; a scraper arranged tangentially to the surface of the roller for removing the one or more cooled bands of boiled sugar confectionery material from the roller; and a conveying means positioned under the roller for supplying a core to be coated with the boiled sugar confectionery material when it is removed from the roller.
The roller may be maintained at a temperature of about 18xc2x0 C. to 22xc2x0 C., have a diameter of about 80 cm to 2 m, and be rotated at a speed of about 4 to 7 inches per minute. The reservoir may be heated to maintain the boiled sugar confectionery material at a temperature of about 85xc2x0 C. to 95xc2x0 C. The outlet in the reservoir and the scraper may be arranged such that, after the one or more bands are deposited on the roller, the one or more bands travel through an angular range of about 180 to 270 degrees before they are removed from the roller by the scraper. The outlet of the reservoir may be positioned about 4 to 15 cm above the roller. The device may also include a hopper for depositing inclusions on the band, wherein the hopper is positioned between the outlet of the reservoir and the scraper.